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Monday 9am - 5pm Tuesday 9am - 5pm Wednesday 9am - 5pm Thursday 9am - 5pm Friday 9am - 5pm

McDowell Sonoran Conservancy

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McDowell Sonoran Conservancy

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Stewardship. Education. Science.

10/19/2026

🌱 READY TO GO NATIVE? START SMALL!
Creating a more desert-friendly yard doesn’t mean you have to transform your entire landscape overnight.

Try one of these:
💧 Swap some grass. Start with one water-thirsty area and replace it with native plants.
🌺 Plant a hummingbird trio. Desert willow, chuparosa, and native salvia can help turn your yard into a pollinator pit stop.
🌵 Add a cactus. Create an iconic desert anchor that provides beauty and benefits wildlife. Maybe even make it a saguaro!
🪴 Visit a local nursery. Look for nurseries specializing in native and desert-adapted plants. They can help match plants to your yard’s sun, soil, and space.

💻 Do a little homework. AMWUA’s Plants for the Arizona Desert and Watering Guide are great free resources for planning your landscape.

Bonus benefit? Getting your hands in the dirt can be good for you, too. Research has found gardening can have measurable positive effects on stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms. 🌱

October through December is prime planting season, so now is the perfect time to start planning.

Photos by Lynne Janney Russell

10/17/2026

A True Desert Titan Has Fallen
Our Stewards have stepped in to clear the path.

10/16/2026

Humans needed high-powered computers to invent radar—bats have been using biological echolocation for over 50 million years! 🦇🔊

How does a bat hunt a tiny moth in complete darkness amidst dense Sonoran cacti?
High-Frequency Cries: They emit ultrasonic sound pulses (up to 200 calls per second!) through their mouth or nose that are far beyond the range of human hearing.
3D Acoustic Mapping: By analyzing the subtle delay and pitch shifts of the returning echo, their brains instantly construct a real-time, 3D visual map of their surroundings.
Precision Targeting: A microbat can detect objects as fine as a single human hair in total blackness!
No spooky magic required: just incredible biological engineering. 🎧

Photo by Dennis Eckel

10/15/2026

Hit the Road with Roger Naylor! 🌵 Join the Arizona author for stories of backroads, ghost towns and Route 66, plus light appetizers, w**e and a book signing.

📅 November 5 | 4–6 p.m.
📍 The Homestead Community Center at DC Ranch
🎟️ $35 general | $25 Conservancy Women members

Sponsored by Conservancy Women and benefiting the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy.

Get tickets: https://mcdowellsonoran.org/event/roger-naylor/

10/14/2026

Forget spooky Halloween myths: around here, bats are the ultimate night-shift superheroes! 🦇🌵

Did you know that the Sonoran Desert is home to 28 distinct species of bats? Among the most iconic fall visitors is the Lesser Long-Nosed Bat (Leptonycteris yerbabuenae). Armed with a tongue as long as its entire body, this small mammal acts as a critical nocturnal pollinator, feeding on nectar from late-blooming agaves and columnar cacti.

Without bats, our desert landscape would look drastically different. A single insect-eating bat can also gobble up to 1,000 mosquito-sized insects in just one hour, making them the desert's best natural pest control!

Next time you watch the sunset over Tom's Thumb, keep an eye on the evening sky...you just might spot our nocturnal guardians getting to work. 🌌

Photos by Lynne Janney Russell

10/12/2026

Today we honor the O'odham and Yavapai peoples, who have lived in relationship with the Sonoran Desert since long before it had a name, and who are still here.

Much of what we now call 'stewardship' is a way of living in relationship with the land that Indigenous peoples have practiced for generations, and we are trying to learn it with humility.

Walk a little slower. Pay attention, honor, and remember who shaped this land first.

10/09/2026

🐝🦋🌸YOUR YARD CAN FEED THE DESERT!
Native plants do more than make our landscapes beautiful. They provide essential food and habitat for the wildlife that calls the Sonoran Desert home.

White-winged doves migrate here and feast on saguaro fruit. Anna’s hummingbirds stay year-round and visit the tubular flowers of native plants like desert willow and chuparosa.

And then there are the smaller visitors: butterflies and nearly 1,000 species of native bees rely on native plants, too!

🌵 DID YOU KNOW?
Native landscaping can reduce outdoor water use by up to 40% while supporting up to 4x more wildlife.

Planting native means creating a little more habitat beyond the boundaries of the Preserve, one yard at a time.

Photos by Lynne Janney Russell

10/08/2026

🌵🔎 Sonoran Desert Discovery Series
📅 Saturday, October 17
⏰ 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
📍 Gateway Trailhead
💲 Free

There’s a whole world hiding in plain sight in the Sonoran Desert.

Join us for a two-hour educational walk exploring the geology and ecology of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. Discover the plants and animals that call this landscape home and learn about the remarkable adaptations that allow them to survive and thrive in one of the most unique deserts in the world.

From the ground beneath your feet to the wildlife and plants around you, you’ll come away seeing the Preserve through a whole new lens. 🌵🦎

🚻💧 Restrooms & water available at the trailhead
💧 Bring water & snacks for the trail
⏱️ Arrive 15 minutes before the walk begins

Space is limited! Please RSVP below to reserve your spot.
https://mcdowellsonoran.org/event/sonoran-desert-discovery-series-educational-walk/

Photos by Lynne Janney Russell

10/05/2026

October in Scottsdale brings crisp 65°F mornings, but don't let the sunrise fool you! ☀️🌡️
Fall weather in the Sonoran Desert can be deceptive. While morning temperatures feel refreshing, afternoon heat can still easily climb into the mid-90s, making ground temperatures on unshaded trails scorching for dog paws.

Before you hit the trails this October, remember our Fall Safety Check:
💧 Hydrate early: Drink half your water before you feel thirsty, and turn around when your bottle is half empty.
🐾 Check the Paws: If ground temperatures exceed 90°F, leave your four-legged family members at home to prevent heatstroke and paw burns.
🗺️ Plan Ahead: Our Trail Ambassadors are back at major trailheads with updated trail maps and current heat safety guidelines!

Stay smart, stay hydrated, and enjoy October on the trails! 🥾

10/03/2026

🌵🦉 Lecture: Connections Among Our Wild Neighbors
📅 Saturday, October 10
⏰ 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM
📍 Mustang Library
10101 N 90th Street, Scottsdale, AZ 85258
💲 Free

In the Sonoran Desert, everything is connected.

Join us for a fascinating look at the relationships among the wildlife of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve and how changes to our environment can ripple through the desert ecosystem.

We’ll explore how environmental stressors affect wildlife, why the plants and animals around us matter, and actions each of us can take to help support sustainable populations of the creatures that share our desert home.

Our speaker, Rick Pearce, has volunteered with the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy since 2013. During that time, he has served in numerous leadership and educational roles, including chair of the Core Leadership Team and Guided Hike and Bike program, while also contributing to education, citizen science, fundraising, and steward mentorship.

Come discover just how interconnected our wild neighbors really are. 🌵

Photos by Lynne Janney Russell

Space is limited! RSVP below to let us know you’re coming.
https://mcdowellsonoran.org/event/lecture-backyard-wildlife

Address

15941 N 77th Street, Suite 2
Scottsdale, AZ
85260

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

+14809987971

Website

http://www.mcdowellsonoran.org/

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